How Store Remodels And Restaurant Renovations Can Help Employee Retention

Regardless of the industry, mass resignations in businesses are inevitable. In November 2021 alone, a record 45 million people quit their jobs, led by food service, healthcare, and retail workers. While providing better compensation could be the solution to retain employees, underlying factors also need to be considered to keep them satisfied and engaged in the workplace. It includes having a quality relationship between employee and employer, the clarity of employees' roles, the value they bring to the team, how their work impacts their well-being, and for retail and hospitality industries, the space and place where they work. 

The pandemic has enabled many restaurant and retail store owners to renovate and remodel their spaces—those who did not are catching up since employees now see the importance of a well-maintained space in one's work performance. But how exactly do store remodeling and restaurant renovations help in improving employee retention? Read on.

Remodeling and Renovations Improve an Employee’s Morale

One of the many frustrations of employees is the outdated, poorly-maintained equipment and the inadequate facilities they have to deal with daily. These reasons alone can destroy a person's morale because most, if not all, of them identify themselves in their work environment. 

Thus, store remodeling and restaurant renovations are critical and excellent opportunities to build workers' morale. According to research, understanding the vision of a new physical environment, sensing the ability to modify a space to match one's needs, and having leaders who project a good attitude toward the physical environment can all affect how employees perceive their identities with their workplace.

Furthermore, employers should include the employees' input during the design process since no one knows what they and the customers need better than the workers themselves. Addressing their concerns can result in much greater employee job satisfaction, ultimately improving their morale. 

After just one negative experience, more than half (61%) of the customers say they would move to a competitor. 70% of consumers are willing to spend more money just to have a better costumer experience. Also Personalization has grown in importance as 76% of customers now demand it.

A Great Working Environment Benefits Both Customers and Employees

Remodeling stores and restaurants are typically done to increase the company's appeal to its customers. However, internal customers—employees—feel happy to work in a fashionable, modern store or restaurant, and that pride is reinforced every time they receive favorable client feedback. When customers are impressed by the renovations, employees feel a sense of pride for working in an updated environment. 

Convenience stores, supermarkets, and fast-service restaurants with excellent design and equipment allow staff to work more comfortably and safely. Additionally, attractively designed retail and hospitality spaces often draw in internal clients. Having the ideal balance between form and function helps lower staff turnover.

How to Design Your Restaurant or Store To Improve Employee Retention

Have a dedicated space for breaks 

Most retail and restaurant spaces don't have a dedicated space for employees to take breaks. That's why the running joke around them is that they eat their meals standing over a trash can or crouching over a food crate. But that should not be the case. Employers should establish a space for breaks as this can improve employees'' morale while also sending a message that a place for them to recharge is a management priority. 

Bring in more natural light

According to studies, constructing office spaces with more daylight can enhance the health and happiness of workers. Front-of-house teams that frequently work near huge windows have fewer problems with natural light. However, workers operating in the back office or kitchen often spend lengthy periods indoors and away from windows. Even modest adjustments, such as installing a screened back door, can allow for more natural light and ventilation.

Basic safety

Due to time and financial restrictions, restaurants frequently have outdated infrastructure that prevents renovations, jeopardizing staff safety even more. Simple areas for improvement include the absence of essential safety equipment like masks for cleaning, missing safety materials documents for chemicals, and steep out-of-code staircases.

Why Is Employee Retention Important in Restaurants and Stores

Money

Every time an employee leaves, employers must seek a replacement, and costs for hiring, uniforms, tools, blunders, and breakage (in the beginning) all impact your business.

Time

Someone has to train new hires; chances are that someone will be you or a senior staff member. In addition to needing to pay for these shifts, training new hires take time away from tasks that contribute to the company's growth.

Culture

If your workplace culture is strong, your long-term employees communicate it to new hires, reinforce it, and ensure the culture stays strong. Numerous fresh faces brought in by high turnover increase the likelihood that the culture won't be passed down, preserved, and finally lost.

Customer Experience

Every restaurant and store is unique in its procedures and processes. It takes time to become familiar with these differences. High staff turnover indicates you're frequently serving customers with personnel that doesn't have a deep understanding of your processes, which consistently gives customers a bad experience.

Bottom Line 

Updating your brand image for customers is only one reason to remodel a restaurant or retail space's interior. While this is crucial, renovations and remodeling also serve as a strategy for employee retention and engagement.

Guest Contributor: Sophia Young